9

The report from the forensic laboratory arrived later that day.

‘That was fast, for a Sunday,’ Naomi commented.

‘They work quickly when they want to,’ Eileen replied.

She didn’t add what all experienced officers knew. In a murder investigation, days of the week meant nothing. Nothing mattered but information gathering to discover leads that resulted in an arrest. Eileen summoned the team to a briefing and glared around the room so aggressively that Geraldine gathered straight away the news was bad. She held her breath, praying that the baby’s body had not been discovered. Having worked on numerous cases investigating the brutal murders of adults, she had considered herself more or less impervious to shock in a murder case, but the prospect of the victim being a six-month-old baby, whether killed accidentally or otherwise, horrified her.

‘The stains found on the cot sheet were human blood,’ Eileen announced angrily, as though she was personally affronted by the results. ‘Forensics have confirmed the blood was from Jessica’s child.’

For a few seconds no one spoke.

‘But no body has been found,’ Ariadne said. ‘She might still be alive.’

‘And the blood spots were tiny, as though the baby had been pricked with a pin, not…’ Naomi’s voice tailed off. ‘She wasn’t stabbed or anything,’ she muttered.

‘You mentioned the missing baby was identified as Jessica’s child,’ Geraldine said, with a slight frown, picking up on Eileen’s statement. ‘What about Jason? We have a sample of his DNA from the house, don’t we?’

Ian nodded. DNA samples had been taken from Jessica directly and from Jason’s toothbrush.

‘Yes, and it appears that Jason is not the father,’ Eileen replied, with a fierce nod at Geraldine. ‘Jessica never mentioned this to us.’

She gazed around the room, as the team absorbed this new information. No one said anything for a minute, but they must all have been thinking it was curious that neither Jessica nor her parents had told the police Jason was not the baby’s biological father. In all probability David and Anne were not aware of the truth, although if they were it might perhaps explain why they were so hostile in their comments about him.

‘So who was the father?’ Ariadne asked.

‘The father’s DNA isn’t on our database, so unless he comes forward, or Jessica shares that information with us, we have no way of knowing,’ Eileen told them.

‘He might not even be aware that he has a baby,’ Geraldine said. ‘Jessica might have had a casual affair and lost touch with Daisy’s biological father before she told him, or even before she discovered she was pregnant.’

‘I wonder if Jason knows the baby’s not his,’ Ian muttered.

The expression in his blue eyes was troubled, and his square jaw jutted out more than usual as he clenched his teeth. Geraldine guessed he was thinking about his own wife, and the father of his wife’s baby. But Bev had left Ian and gone to live with the father of her child. She hadn’t stayed with her husband and tried to pass the child off as his. Jessica might not have been so honest with Jason.

‘We don’t yet know if Jessica is aware that the baby is not Jason’s,’ Ariadne pointed out.

They urgently needed to find out what had passed between Jessica and Jason before their daughter’s disappearance. Reluctantly, Geraldine set off on her next task, to question Jessica about the father of her missing baby. It was likely to be a tricky interview, but the baby’s life might depend on what Geraldine managed to find out, and time could be running out for Daisy.

Jessica’s father, David, came to the door and frowned imperiously at Geraldine. She returned his gaze levelly. Noting his heightened colour and aggressive stance, she thought he might be prone to losing his temper, but she was aware that appearances could be misleading. It was possible he was a mild-mannered man who happened to be particularly irritated by her arrival. This impression seemed to be borne out by his first words.

‘If you’re from the local press, we don’t want to talk to you,’ he growled.

His expression altered when Geraldine held up her identity card, and he relaxed his hold on the front door while his expression became eager, almost pleading.

‘Yes, of course,’ he mumbled. ‘I should have recognised you straight away. I do apologise, Sergeant. I’m somewhat preoccupied, as you can well imagine. Have you brought us news of Daisy?’

He glared ferociously, but there was no mistaking the desperation in his voice.

‘Not yet, but we’re making progress.’

That was partly true. They had identified bloodstains in Daisy’s cot, incidentally establishing that Jason was not her father, but none of that had helped them discover the baby’s whereabouts.

‘I would like to speak to your daughter again.’

‘Jessica’s been upset enough over all this,’ David replied firmly. ‘The only words she wants to hear from you are that Daisy’s been found, safe and well.’

‘That’s what we all want, and we’re doing everything we can to find her. Now I need to speak to Jessica.’

David did not stir from his position blocking the doorway. ‘My daughter is too upset to answer any more of your questions right now. I sent your police liaison officer packing and now you can return to the police station as well. Go and do your job and find my granddaughter.’

As he began to close the door, his wife appeared in the hallway behind him.

‘Who is it, David?’

Her face grew taut on seeing Geraldine on the doorstep and her eyes glowed with longing.

‘Is it–? Have you found her? Is she–?’ she stammered, starting forward.

‘I’m afraid we haven’t found Daisy yet, Mrs Armstrong. We’re following several leads. I’m sorry to disturb you, but I do need to ask Jessica a few more questions.’

‘I told you to leave my daughter alone,’ David said. ‘This constant badgering isn’t helping her –’

‘Let the sergeant come in,’ Anne interrupted him, giving her husband what appeared to be a warning frown. ‘We must help the police in any way we can. Let her do her job.’

‘If they were doing their job properly, Daisy would be back with us by now,’ he replied.

‘I’d like to speak to your daughter,’ Geraldine repeated.

‘You can speak to me,’ David said. ‘Daisy’s my granddaughter.’

‘I have a few questions to put to Jessica. It won’t take long.’

‘I’m not leaving her alone with you,’ he replied firmly.

Geraldine stared at him. ‘Are you concerned about what she might say? Is there something you would like her to keep quiet about?’

David flushed with irritation. ‘I don’t know what that’s supposed to imply, but I resent your tone, Sergeant, and if you can’t keep a civil tongue in your –’

‘I need to speak to your daughter,’ Geraldine interrupted him impatiently. ‘We can do this at the police station, if necessary, but it would be easier and quicker to talk here and now, and we don’t want to waste time. I’m sure Jessica would feel more comfortable talking to me here, in familiar surroundings. We are all keen to find your granddaughter as quickly as we can and reunite her with her mother. So shall we stop wasting time in pointless argument?’

David sniffed, and seemed about to retort. Thinking better of it, he withdrew and stomped away along the hall, grumbling irascibly. Anne took Geraldine into the living room where Jessica was staring fixedly at a game show on the television.

‘I’d like to ask you a few questions,’ Geraldine said.

David followed Anne and Geraldine into the room. ‘Don’t let her hector you, Jessica,’ he barked.

Jessica seemed calmer than she had been on the previous occasions when Geraldine had seen her. As she sat down, Geraldine asked Anne and David to leave her and Jessica alone.

‘I’m staying right here,’ David retorted.

‘You might as well do what she wants, or she’ll never go away,’ Jessica said. ‘Go on, please.’

Anne shooed her protesting husband out of the room.

‘Jessica,’ Geraldine began as soon as the Armstrongs had gone, ‘how long have you and Jason been married?’

‘Just over three years.’

Geraldine stared directly at Jessica, studying her reaction, as she posed her next question. ‘And who is Daisy’s father?’

Jessica gave a credible appearance of being surprised. ‘What do you mean? I don’t understand the question. Jason is, of course.’

‘I need you to tell me the identity of Daisy’s biological father.’ Geraldine leaned forward. ‘It’s possible he abducted her. That kind of reaction isn’t unprecedented in situations like yours.’

‘What are you talking about? What situations? I don’t know what you mean. Jason’s her father –’

‘Jessica, we know that’s not true. DNA found in Daisy’s cot establishes that you are her mother, and someone other than Jason is her father. The longer you continue lying about it, the less chance there is that we will find her. Your husband needn’t necessarily find out the truth, unless that turns out to be unavoidable, but the priority now is to find your daughter and return her safely to you. So, let’s go through this again. Who is Daisy’s father?’

Jessica shook her head. ‘I don’t know,’ she whispered, looking terrified. ‘I had no idea… I always thought Jason was her father… I’m telling you the truth.’

Geraldine was inclined to believe her. ‘Very well, but there must have been another man in your life around fifteen months ago, because there’s no question that Jason isn’t Daisy’s father.’

Jessica had gone pale and she was trembling. ‘I don’t know,’ she mumbled. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Think very carefully. Who were you having an affair with?’

‘No, no, it was nothing like that. Please, you mustn’t say anything like that. We have to pretend it never happened. If you say anything, I’ll deny it. No, no. It’s not true. It’s not true.’

‘Jessica,’ Geraldine said, very gently, ‘the DNA confirms it. So I’ll ask you again, who were you having an affair with?’

‘No, no, it wasn’t like that. It wasn’t an affair. You can’t say it was an affair.’

‘What wasn’t an affair?’

‘There was this one, but it was just the once, one time, that’s all. It was just a fling, a stupid one-night stand. I went out… Oh God, this is all so horrible.’

‘Who was he?’

Jessica shook her head helplessly. ‘I don’t know. I don’t know. I was drunk. I’ve no idea who he was. It was just a ghastly mistake that should never have happened. I didn’t even know his name. We barely spoke before we… outside a pub… I don’t know why I did it. Jason had gone away for the weekend with his friends.’ She shuddered. ‘I thought she was Jason’s. Oh God, this is awful.’ She looked at Geraldine. ‘Don’t tell Jason. Please, please, don’t tell him. I never meant him to find out that I had… it didn’t mean anything. There’s no reason why Jason should ever know. Please. And please don’t say anything to my parents.’

‘Does Daisy’s biological father know about her?’

‘How could he? I told you, I don’t even know who he is. If I passed him in the street I wouldn’t recognise him. I was too drunk to know what I was doing. It was a long time ago. And I had no idea at the time… How could I have told him? I never told anyone. No one knows. No one. Jason mustn’t ever find out. He would –’ She broke off suddenly, her eyes widening in shock. ‘He’d be so upset,’ she concluded lamely.

‘It was fifteen months ago,’ Geraldine said. ‘And Jason knows nothing about this fling you had?’

Jessica shook her head, seemingly too overwhelmed with fear to utter a word. ‘Please don’t tell him,’ she pleaded, when she recovered sufficiently to speak. ‘It would destroy our marriage. I know my husband, and he’s not the type of man to forgive something like that. Please don’t tell him.’

‘I think it’s something you should probably tell him yourself.’

‘How can I tell him now, after all this time? I can’t tell him. And if you try to tell him, I’ll deny it. No, you can’t tell him. Please. It would destroy us.’

‘Well, it’s up to you whether you ever tell your husband or not, and, in any case, maybe it should wait until Daisy has been found. But she might want to know about her father when she’s older. For now, can you tell me anything about the man you had sex with? Anything at all?’

Jessica shook her head, making her blonde hair swing around her face. ‘I can’t tell you what I don’t know.’

Geraldine drove away thoughtfully. There seemed to be a motive for Jason to have resented Daisy, if he had discovered the truth about her parentage. But if Jessica had genuinely believed Jason was Daisy’s father, she couldn’t have said or done anything to make him doubt that, and Geraldine was fairly convinced Jessica had been telling the truth when she insisted she had always believed Jason was Daisy’s biological father. On the other hand, with Daisy gone, Jason would never need to learn the truth about Jessica’s deception. If Jessica had disposed of the baby, then she had not counted on the police discovering those drops of blood in the cot. Yet it was Jessica herself who had drawn Geraldine’s attention to the blood, and it stretched credulity to suppose that Jessica would have done that if she had killed Daisy herself to cover up the fact that Jason was not her biological father. On the contrary, she would have disposed of the sheet and replaced it straight away. Somehow the case seemed to be growing more complicated with every passing day.